Levain Buttermilk Waffles

by jennifer lynne latham

It has been almost exactly 2 years since I wrote anything around here, so it seems anti-climactic to break the silence for a waffle recipe, but on the other hand maybe just a little something sweet is just the thing.
I got 2 waffle makers for Christmas this year. People who love me apparently also know me pretty well. My platonic ideal of a waffle resembles a cannelé bordelaise, dark and crispy on the outside and custardy in the inside, with a nice open crumb, and this recipe yields just that.
I adapted it from smitten kitchen’s yeasted waffle recipe here which worked really well, in case you don’t have starter lying around. (I did sub raw sugar & buttermilk when I made hers.)

the night before;
warm buttermilk and water separately to baby-bottle temperature (just warm on the wrist.) You may not want to add all the water, depending on how wet your levain is, so reserve that aside.
stir butter into buttermilk, gently stir in starter.
sprinkle sugar over wet, stir to dissolve.
gently whisk flour & salt into buttermilk mixture, a little at a time to avoid lumps.
the batter should resemble pancake batter in thickness- add some water if needed until you achieve the desired consistency.
cover and let sit at room temperature overnight.
in the morning;
warm your eggs to room temperature by letting them sit in a bowl of hot tap water for about 15 minutes.
sift the baking soda into the batter & stir, scramble your eggs up and stir all together until mixed in.
bake in a waffle iron- you know the drill.
eat up.